White Wash Puppet
by Juggalomalice
Summary: Naraku is defeated and with his death Kanna has earned her freedom. Unfortunately she knows not what to do with it. Now she struggles to understand a world she knows nothing about. Can Inuyasha teach her what it means to be free? A KannaInuyasha fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Yeah yeah, I know I'm suppose to be working on other stories right now, but this little thing has bee sitting in my computer half done for ages. Figured I'll finish it and post it since it wouldn't take to long. Honestly I don't think I did a very good job on this chapter. I was working with very different elements from my norm. Well maybe someone will enjoy it. I'm just such a big Kanna fan. There will be more, but not for a sometime.

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White Wash Puppet

Chapter 1: Failure to Comprehend

By: Juggalomalice

She stared at him. Her gaze took in his every action. Following his every movement. She didn't blink. She didn't speak. She barely even breathed. She just stared at him and nothing else. She ignored the foreign world she had been thrust into and watched him. He fidgeted under her constant scrutiny as he glared back at her only to turn away after a few moments. He had told her before that he disliked the fact that when he looked her in the eyes he couldn't even see his own reflection in her pupils. She didn't understand why it angered him so. Its not like she had any control over it. The blackness in her eyes merely reflected the emptiness in her soul. Why would you be able to see anything in the void of nothing?

"Damn it will you stop staring at me?!" He finally shouted as he slammed his fist into the wooden floor smashing a hole into it. "Everyday all you do is stare at me! Can't you do anything else for a change?!"

She didn't understand why he was so anger. She didn't understand what she had done to make him anger. She didn't understand what she should do. So she just kept staring at him.

"Answer me!"

She tilted her head to the side in confusion like a parrot trying to understand the very words that were being said to it. "I don't understand." She answered. Her voice so low that it could barely count as actual speech.

"What's there to understand? I want you to do something else instead of just stare at me, understand?" He screamed as he flailed his arms and his red robe swaying along as if warning all around him of his mood. His voice easily reaching out to the further reaches of the village.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Anything, just don't bother me." He huffed as he turned his back towards her and faced the back of the wooden hut. She slowly stood up, clutched the mirror in her hand, walked to the entrance and lifted the curtain door. Before she exited she looked back into the hut.

"Are you mad?" She asked clearly not understanding the reasoning behind his mood.

The red robed young man looked at her over his shoulder. His silver hair whipping around from the speed he turned as he glared at the girl with his amber eyes. "What gave you that idea? Of course I'm mad!"

"Why?"

"Didn't I tell you not to bother me!" He snapped as he faced the wall again.

Seeing that there was nothing left to be said she exited the small building. She regarded her new surroundings for a moment. The small village huts that dotted each side, the numerous village people that went about their daily duties, and the bright evening sun that bathed everything in a warm glow. It was very different from the cold castles and dark catacombs she had grown accustomed to under her service to Naraku. A few of the villagers gave her strange looks, but it was nothing too serious. Most had grown accustomed to the strange events and people that happened upon their village since the day the strangely dressed miko girl, Kagome, appeared in their village so many months ago.

She walked through the village towards nowhere in particular. This place was still very alien to her and she had no idea what she should do. All she knew was that InuYasha had told her not to bother him so that's exactly what she intended to do. She eventually found herself at the steps leading up to the village shrine and took at seat on them. She sat and just watched people walk by.

"Kanna, what are you doing here by yourself?" An old female voice said from behind her. Kanna looked behind her to see the old woman Kaede, the village priestess and elder.

"Nothing." Kanna answered almost mechanically as she looked back forward.

Kaede sighed. It was hard to believe that such a frail looking girl was in fact an extremely powerful demon and perhaps the last living incarnation of the now deceased demon Naraku. Kanna was not accustomed to the concept of free will or choice having had lived a life of servitude. Kaede knew it would take much time for Kanna to adjust to her new life without Naraku and among normal humans, but so far she had showed little if any social or emotional development since her arrival.

Still all was not lost. Despite Naruku's initial purpose for her, Kanna was perhaps the most innocent of the demon's creations. Having been created with no real emotions she had no true concept of right or wrong. As such her actions were completely reliant on her education of the world around her and others imparting their morals upon her. Such a large responsibility would not have bothered Kaeda if it had been given to Kagome, Sango or even Miroko. Despite his lecherous ways Kaeda had no doubt that the monk would be an excellent teacher once he settled down. Still none of these people had been given the responsibility of being Kanna's guardian. It instead fell on the least likely person, InuYasha. A result from a promise InuYasha hastily made with a dying Kagura. Kaede still didn't have the full details of the situation, but one way or another InuYasha was now Kanna's guardian and the only person she fully acknowledged and listened to. It was unfortunate that InuYasha was naturally distrustful of anything related to Naraku and suffered from such a short temper.

"Perhaps I should rephrase. Why are you out here by yourself?" Kaede asked.

"InuYasha is mad." Her answer was simple and devoid of any real intonation. She would make no effort to answer anything beyond the initial question she was asked.

"Unfortunately InuYasha is not blessed with patience. What is he made about this time?"

"He is mad at me."

"Oh, why is that?"

"I don't know."

"Well Kanna part of learning to live among humans is learning to understand the feelings of others though it must be difficult for you. Especially since InuYasha is much more complicated than most people think at first. Why don't I go talk to him for you?" The old miko offered.

"Do as you wish." Kanna replied completely indifferent to whatever course of action the old woman decided to take. Kanna just continued to look forward. Her attention focused on everything and nothing at the same time. Without another word Kaede left the young demon to her thoughts. Kanna was still very difficult to talk to and a person with less patience would no doubt lose their temper with her.

Kanna watched as the old woman walked off. She did not understand why the old priestess was so concerned about the way InuYasha treated her. Though the demon child was willing to admit that whatever Kaede said to InuYasha during those talks he was usually far more agreeable afterwards.

She looked at her mirror as she studied the reflection it showed back. She had begun to notice that the longer she stayed with InuYasha and his group the more she caught herself staring at her reflection. A habit that she had never had before. Her near perfect snow-white skin, hair that was just as white and never seemed to become disheveled no matter what it endured and large black empty eyes. She blinked as she put the mirror down. "Nothing makes sense anymore." She mused.

"Asume!" A voice cried out from nearby. Kanna looked toward the source of the sound to see a young man dressed in standard village attire. He was perhaps of average height and build and didn't seem to offer anything that might separate him from a crowd. The girl he called to, Asume, was similar to him offering no unique characteristics. She seemed to be of moderate attractiveness. It would be just as easy to find a girl more attractive than her as it would be to find one less attractive.

Asume looked at him and turned her back towards him with a huff. "I'm not talking to you Matsa!" She declared.

"I know you're mad at me Asume, but I got these for you." The young man known as Matsa said as he offered her a handful of freshly picked wild flowers.

Asume turned around, her expression of anger shifting to one of surprise at the sight of the handmade bouquet. "Matsa?" she questioned as she took the flowers into her hand.

"I'm sorry for making you mad Asume. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Oh Matsa, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for something so stupid anyway." Asume admitted as she looked away in shame.

Matsa gently tilted her face so that she was looking at him once more. "You don't have to apologize, I understand."

"Matsa?"

"Asume…"

The two youngsters slowly closed the distance between themselves. Any anger they initially had for the other disappearing with the feeling of their lips against the other. Kanna merely stood up and shook her head.

"Humans make no sense." She said to herself as she walked off.

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Back at the hut Kaede sat with a still infuriated half-demon, InuYasha. InuYasha didn't even bother to look at the old woman as she walked in. 

"Can it old woman. I heard it all before." The half-demon barked.

"Oh really? So you already know exactly what I'm going to say do you?" Kaede asked.

InuYasha snorted as he glared at the aged priestess, "You're going to tell me how I shouldn't get mad at Kanna and how she still doesn't know any better about the way she acts, isn't that right?"

Kaede nodded in confirmation, "If you already know that why must I keep sitting down with you to remind you?"

The young hanyo turned away from Kaede's glare. "It's not my fault. I tell her to do something and she just stares at me. She just doesn't…. doesn't…" InuYasha struggled as he tried to think of the proper word.

"Understand?" Kaede offered.

InuYasha stared at the old woman, his golden eyes slightly dimmed by his own shame and ignorance. "Yeah, that's the word."

"InuYasha, if you want her to understand perhaps you should finally accept the responsibility that has been given to you and teach her instead of chasing her off all the time." Kaede advised.

"Oh, but why me?" He whined. "I'm not exactly qualified for this sort of thing. It's not like I have experience in this sort of thing."

"No you don't, but you do have one thing going for you InuYasha."

"Oh and what's that?" The hanyo asked in a doubtful tone.

"You've had a mother's love. The love of a person who accepted you unconditionally. That is something Kanna has never experienced in her life and that one thing is enough to make you qualified."

InuYasha's temple twitched in frustration. He knew he was losing the argument again just like last time, but he wasn't about to admit it. Not yet. "Yeah, well that doesn't change the fact that she's still an incarnation of that bastard Naraku."

"You're right. She is an incarnation of Naraku, but InuYasha take Kanna's heritage and put it to the side. Forget it exist for a moment. What do you have left?"

The silver-haired hanyo looked at the old woman with a perplexed expression. "A little girl I guess."

"Exactly. A little girl who understands nothing of the world she's been thrust into and you're the only person she trusts enough to let guide her."

"I hate it when you're right!" InuYasha grumbled. "I guess I should apologize to her huh?"

"That would be a good choice of action." Kaede agreed.

"InuYasha!" A soft voice called out from the door.

InuYasha turned towards the voice to see Kanna with a handful of local wild flowers. Even in defeat the hanyo was stubborn and he refused to give his apology immediately. He instead turned away from the young albino girl. "What do you want?" he growled.

"I know you're mad at me, but I got these for you." She said daintily as she gave the half-demon her offering of flowers.

InuYasha took the flowers in quiet confusion. He had no expected Kanna to take initiative in such a matter. "Kanna?" He asked clearly confused by the young girls actions.

""I'm sorry for making you mad InuYasha. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Kanna asked repeating the exact words she heard earlier.

InuYasha turned away as he tried to hide his own lack of maturity with a dismissive laugh. "Well don't worry about it. I admit I shouldn't have gotten mad at you earlier myself."

Kanna gently guided Inuyasha's face so that he was facing her once more. "You don't have to apologize, I understand." She said as her tiny fingers gently caressed the hanyo's cheek.

InuYasha froze completely caught off-guard by Kanna's sudden shift in personality. Since when had Kanna been so physical and understanding in what she does? "Kanna, why are you acting like…" But InuYasha had no time to finish his sentence and Kanna closed the distance between them and kisses him full on the lips. His eyes shot open in shock and his brain froze unable to comprehend what was just happening. Kaede herself watched the event in shock as she dropped her cup of tea without a second thought.

As Kanna finally broke the kiss between InuYasha and herself she found herself staring into his wide panicked filled golden eyes. With his brain once again starting to work properly the hanyo reacted in the only way he could think, by immediately crawling backwards in fright and putting as much distance between him and Kanna as he could.

Kanna's expression once again became one of confusion and uncertainty. This was not the same reaction that the young couple earlier had displayed. In fact even the old woman, Kaede, looked shocked. "Was my apology wrong?" She asked after several moments of silence. Her only reply was in the form of two stupefied stares of disbelief.

Humanity was indeed a very confusing species.

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Its short I know. I feel like I'm spreading myself out among to many projects. The next chapter should be longer. Later

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White Wash Puppet

Chapter 2: To Choose Freedom

"If you want the jewel you have to promise!" Kagura fiercely demanded of the shocked hanyo as she placed the small albino girl in his arms.

"What?!"

"Promise me you'll take care of her Inuyasha." The sorceress demanded once more.

"Fine fine, I promise." Inuyasha blurted out. Anything to finally get the Shikon Jewel back.

"Kagura?" Kanna asked, unsure of what exactly was transpiring.

Kagura smiled as she released a long held breath and petted the young girls head. "From now on you'll be staying with InuYasha, understood" Kanna merely nodded, though she still did not understand the reasoning behind her sister's actions.

"Kagura, what about the Shikon Jewel?" Kagome asked as she stepped forward from InuYasha's side.

"I haven't forgotten. Catch." Kagura said as she tossed the jewel to the miko. "And InuYasha, thank you." Kagura said to the half-demon with a smile before she crumbled to the ground lifelessly.

InuYasha stepped back in shock. "I didn't do anything, I swear!" he shouted as Miroku rushed up and checked Kagura's pulse. The monk looked up at the rest of his comrades.

"She's dead."

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"_That wasn't even that long ago." _InuYasha thought from his place in the high treetops overlooking the village below. The hanyo was still amazed at how much life could change with just a few days time. Not even a week ago he would have been on the road with his friends in their quest to hunt down and destroy Naraku. Now everything was different. Naraku was gone, for good it seemed, and everyone was now in the process of rebuilding. On top of that he was now expected to be the guardian of a former enemy. Had the situation not been true he would have laughed at how absurd it sounded. He buried his face into the palm of his hand. "It's like I've been thrown into a badly written play."

"InuYasha." A quiet voice called.

InuYasha peeked through cracks in between his fingers to only to see the main cause of his troubles standing right before. He stared dumbly at the young girl, his eye slightly twitching. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Several minutes. I did not want to disturb you, but since you failed to notice me after so long I decided to make my presence known." She answered without much thought.

The dog-demon slide his palm down his face as if he was trying to wipe away the mental fatigue from his very body. "Well I have been meaning to talk to you so I guess now is as good as a time as ever."

"Have you?" She asked with a stoic expression.

"Yeah, well I've been thinking. What exactly was your relationship with Naraku?"

"We were all his servants. His tools to do with as he pleases." She dispassionately answered.

"So you weren't free?"

"Free? Kagura often spoke of one day being free, though I honestly never really understood the concept."

"Well you see everyone is suppose to be free. Its when bastards like Naraku start manipulating and forcing people to do things they don't want to do that real trouble starts. You can't be free when someone is controlling you, understand? A person should be free to make their own choices." InuYasha explained.

"It is different, but I think I understand." Kanna answered as she tilted her head in thought. "But the concept is still very alien to me."

"Well I want you to think about it for awhile. I'm sure you'll understand with some time."

"Maybe."

"Anyway Kanna, why did you come all the way out here to find me?" InuYasha asked after several moments of thought.

"You're friends have returned and wish to talk to you." Kanna answered as her mirror glowed brightly before the reflective surface vanished to show an overhead view of Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Shippo, and Kirara sitting in one of the village huts talking cheerfully.

"Well that explains how you can always find me." The hanyo said under his breath.

"The miko girl seems troubled about something and the monk and hunter wish to speak to you concerning me." Kanna continued.

"If things weren't complicated enough as they were." He huffed. "Well I guess I should get back to the village. Want a lift back?" InuYasha offered. Kanna merely stared at him without a word. His question clearly arousing uncertainty in the eldest incarnation. "Well do you want a ride or not?" The dog demon asked again more loudly in case Kanna didn't hear him the first time.

"I will if that is your wish."

InuYasha groaned in exasperation. "Its not about what I want. Its about what you want."

"What I want." She repeated, echoing the words with a distant voice. It was the first time she was ever given a real choice.

"Well?" The dog demon asked once more as he stood up and looked at the younger demon. "If you want to come with me you have to speak up sooner or later." He said as he offered her his hand.

Kanna watched him. Her black eyes darting between InuYasha's outstretched hand and his own amber eyes. Though she showed no signs of it externally, confusion had already set inside her mind. Was she so accustomed to the institution of a master-servant relationship that even such a menial choice as this perplexed her?

"_Kagura died so that I could be free and to be free I must make choices." _She thought as her hand slowly reached out towards InuYasha's. _"Then my first choice as someone who's free is to go with the hanyo." _She looked up at InuYasha's face once more. _"No, he's not the hanyo, he's InuYasha. I choose to go with him." _She thought and after what seemed like an eternity she finally took his hand. "Yes…" She answered weakly.

A fanged grin spread across InuYasha's face. "I'm glad to see that you're learning something." He said as he picked her up in one swift motion and proceeded to jump from treetop to treetop.

Kanna had faced numerous dangers in her time and had unwavering served perhaps the most dangerous demon to ever exist. She was created to show no emotion and fear was no exception to that rule, but as InuYasha took her hand. As he cradled her in his arms and rushed back to the village something happened. Kanna wasn't sure what it was, but for one brief second. For one of the shortest times in history. For one microsecond of her life.

Kanna was scared.

End Chapter 2


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